Finding the Perfect Fit Is Hard – Should You Stretch to Hire the Candidate in 2019

The talent market is tight and shows no signs of letting up. But, how can you afford to compromise when building a quality team? It all comes down to separating your must-haves from your like-to-haves. Stand firm on your must-haves and use your best judgment on the rest.

What can you do when presented with a candidate who brings the right skills and an impressive track record, but is missing one of the requirements you were looking for?

What about a candidate who doesn’t quite click with everyone during the hiring process? Should you still take a chance on hiring them, or is that a recipe for disaster?

Consider these factors:

Not everyone interviews well

A candidate can look great on paper, but be nervous or awkward when you meet them in person. Depending on which position you are hiring for, this can be a deal breaker. For example, a restaurant manager must be assertive and outgoing, among many other skills. You may hesitate to take a chance on a hire who seems shy or passive in the interview, but careful reference checking can reveal how they actually perform on the job.

Success takes many forms

Benchmark the current strongest employees in your company. Would they pass your screening process today? How do the qualifications of candidates you are evaluating now stack up against the most essential qualities of your successful employees? What are the intangibles that make someone a valuable part of your organization?

Fit can’t be faked

Skills can be taught, but fit cannot. If you can picture that candidate working in your organization, getting along well with co-workers, coming up with new ideas and making your organization stronger, they may be worth taking a chance on as long as they have the essential qualities you expect from the individual you hire.

It takes support to succeed

With the right tools, a smart and skilled candidate can be trained to be a success in your hotel. By offering a comprehensive orientation and ongoing training program, you can mold them into what you will need.

Reference checks provide a great opportunity

Digging deeper into a candidate’s background can lead to valuable information in making the decision to extend a job offer. Create a robust process for contacting and interviewing their reference checks. Don’t just stick to the references provided. Leverage your professional network to talk to mutual contacts and obtain valuable information. Past experiences can reveal a lot about the job candidate that you may not know. The last thing you want to do is extend a job offer and have to make a costly personnel change in a few months.

It’s a tough market. It’s important to be realistic. You don’t want to make a bad hire, but you can’t afford to let positions go unfilled. Understand the success factors to focus on, and you may be pleasantly surprised.

Partner With a Leading Hospitality Recruiter Today

The experts at Horizon Hospitality can help you find candidates for hospitality executive and management positions who will fit into your organization seamlessly. Contact our hospitality recruiters today to get started.

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